Some things need time
by Aurora82Borealis
Summary: Set five years after the "Escape from Crait" (as I dubbed the events at the end of The Last Jedi). The Resistance was reborn, the sparks still fly. ...It has been 5 years since the Escape From Crait, as the small band of brave rebels called the day, when almost all of the naval forces of the former Resistance against the First Order was lost. It had been a hard time, a time for ol
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Coming home still feels strange**

It has been 5 years since the Escape From Crait, as the small band of brave rebels called the day, when almost all of the naval forces of the former Resistance against the First Order was lost. It had been a hard time, a time for old leaders to gather up their strength and for new leaders to claim their responsibilities. For a long time they had been just a bunch of dreamers, crammed into the Millenium Falcon, hopping from planet to planet, always on tiptoes, always on the run from the First Order. In retrospect, no one knew how they always managed to be just a few days, sometimes only mere hours, ahead of their pursuers. But they managed. And in hiding, the old resistance, now known as Reborn Rebel Alliance, grew again.

The Millenium Falcon broke through the heavy clouds on Lah'mu descending onto the landing strip that stretched near the beach. Somehow, the First Order had forgotten about this remote planet which was now one of the main bases of the Reborn Rebel Alliance.

"We're home." Rey smiled as she programmed the landing routine into the ship's computer. She yawns a little and stretches into the pilot's seat. "I bet Chewie is happy to see the old bird still in one piece." She can't hide a grin as she looks over to Poe Dameron, by now again a Commander of the New Rebel Alliance, who is seated in the co-pilot's chair.

"One of these days he will trust me to fly with you." Poe answered slightly miffed.

"Just give it time, he had the Falcon for so many years. It also took him time to get used to the idea of me flying it." Rey smiled friendly. "But he was with me most of the times I was on the Falcon." A frown clouded her smiling features. "He still misses Han Solo a lot. He doesn't really like for other people taking Han's place on the ship."

"It's hard to get used to it. He was a legend.", Poe agreed.

Rey and Poe Dameron had become good friends after the events on Crait. They hit it off without problems. What fueled their friendship was a heavy amount of mutual respect and admiration. Rey had taught Poe some of her outer-rim martial arts whereas he had taught her some basic mechanical skills that helped her repair not only the Falcon whenever needed but other space crafts as well. She knew a lot about these things already, but with Poe's help she didn't need to salvage half as many other ships to get her repairs done.

They had been on a three-day-mission to the Outer Rim in order to stock up on some medical material. The Outer Rim might not be the go to place for medical supplies, but the Falcon blended in nicely there with all the other out of date ships and flying garbage.

"Do you have any plans tonight?" Poe asked casually when he grabbed one of the crates and rearranged it on the ramp for the ground crew to unload the ship.

Rey yawned "I don't know. After a very long and hot shower I'll probably just curl up on my bed and fall asleep. But the girls wanted us to hang out tonight."

When referring to "the girls" Rey was speaking about Rose Tico, who had easily become her best friend and Poe's fellow pilots of the Black Squadron, Karé Kun and Jessica Pava.

With a smile she added "So chances are, you have a chance to hang out with your best friend. I promise to occupy Rose for a while."

At this, Poe grinned mischievously. "You think so? Ever since they started dating, I hardly see Finn anymore."

"Well, you have no idea, what we girls discuss without you guys around. Rose will forget about her beau for a while when we gossip." Rey giggled. It had taken her some time to adjust to the presence of other people. But by now, she enjoyed it very much to have friends, even a family in the Resistance.

Poe laughed with a slight shake of his head. "I guess it's better we don't know what you gossip about." In fact, he very much wanted to know what Rey, Karé, Jess and Rose were gossiping about. But he was way too polite to implore or worse, eavesdrop. "So, I guess, I'll see you around later." He answered instead.

The base on Lah'mu was one of the bigger and newer bases of the Reborn Rebel Alliance. The planet in the Outer Rim had gotten forgotten after the Clone Wars and was the home to less than five hundred settlers. The only time the planet got recognition, was long before the first Rebel Alliance, as it was the home to the now legendary Erso family. But as it never was mentioned again, Leia Organa had chosen this remote planet with its planetary rings as an ideal hiding space and headquarter.

It had taken a long time to gather new forces to confront the First Order, that had soon overrun the galaxy after the doomed escape from D'Qar and the Massacre of the Hosnian System. But as Resistance against an oppressive regime and Rebellions go, the Reborn Rebel Alliance had prevailed. And it had grown.

Rey entered the control room, where she found General Organa concentrating over a communique that appeared in a holographic form.

"Hello General. Commander Dameron and I have returned. We managed to retrieve the medical supplies.", the young Jedi reported.

The older woman smiled warmly and friendly. "I know, Rey. Poe already sent me the mission report from the Falcon. Good job."

"Oh, he didn't tell me. Sorry to give you a redundant report then." Rey answered slightly embarrassed. She still was not used to the military protocol that the Rebel Alliance used. She never got officially enrolled. Even if she worked within the ranks.

"Don't worry about it. He should have told you." Leia motioned for Rey to sit with her. "Tell me about the planets you visited this time. Was there the green you look for?"

"There was no green this time. We went to a planet, that was more like Jakku than any other we went to before." Rey answered and sat down. A smile crossed her face. "But I don't miss green anymore. Ever since we came here, I guess, I found the green I so longed for. Lah'mu has become something like a home. I'd hate for us to leave it."

"It will happen, though." Leia motioned at the star chart in front of her. "When all of this is over, I hope you find a place that you really can call home. Try not to get too attached to Lah'mu. I did so with D'Qar and it was a sad call. But then, I have a sad history with places."

Rey looked down at her hands. She knew what the general was referring to. Who didn't know the story of Alderaan.

"I was looking for a place like my home world for a very long time. And then, I found my home in another person. Life can be cruel." Leia said. With a small wink and a soft smile she added "But this should never make hesitate in finding a home, either in a place or a person."

Rey looked even more focused at her hands. She couldn't help but see exactly what the general meant in her mind. Still, it embarrassed her to think about such things as attachment to another person.

"Oh dear, I didn't intend to put you on the spot. I was more reminiscing than giving you an advice. And I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want my advice either. That's what your friends are for."

"I'd gladly ask for advice from you, General." Rey blushed a little. "But there is no need for that at the moment."

"Would you please start calling me Leia? You're a stubborn as Poe in this respect. It took him years to address me with my given name." The faint blush in Rey's cheeks at the mention of the Commander's name didn't escape Leia's attention. But she didn't say anything about it.

"Okay, Leia." Rey tested the name shyly. "If you already received the debrief, I'll retreat to my quarters. It was quite a long trip."

Leia smiled. "Of course. Enjoy your night off. Rose couldn't talk about anything else when she came here earlier and worked at this battered down work station."

"I'll never get used to these new T-85 x-wings. They are great, but I miss our old T-70s." Jessica Pava exclaimed.

"Didn't you fly them in Rapier Squadron, too?", Rey asked curiously.

"you spend too much time with Poe.", Karé Kun snorted teasingly. "You know all of our old war stories already. And we can't complain about our ships anymore. This is getting boring."

"He might have told me about the different X-Wing models you guys flew before. But I think it was more to scare me off. He doesn't want to let me fly his X-Wing."

"That's unfair. Didn't you let him fly the Falcon?", Jessica exclaimed in shock.

"Don't tell Chewie I let him actually fly. Chewie thinks, the only thing Poe does in the Falcon is observe – and rearrange the co-pilots seat."

At this the girls started giggling. The thought of mighty Poe Dameron not being able to reach the controls from the co-pilots seat on the Falcon for being a lot shorter than Chewbacca was an image they could not get out of their heads.

"What did I miss?" Rose, who just arrived at the small bar. It was only a five inute walk from the base, but she had flushed cheeks.

"Not much, Jess and Karé complain about the X-Wings they fly." Rey answered truthfully, earning flabberghasted stares from the pilots and a shocked yelp from Rose.

"How could you? Do you know how much work goes into your gear? They are the best. And it was not so easy to get them in the first place. And don't get me started about your crazy customization wishes."

"Sorry Rose. We didn't want to complain about your work. They just feel differently." Jess defended herself.

"After all these years? You still mourn the T-70s?" Rose shook her head. "And this is what I came for tonight?"

"Missing your boyfriend already?" Karé teased. It was easy for her to mock the young mechanic. After all, she was living together off base with Snap for a time now. Whereas Rose still lived on the base and had to make do with what spare-time she could spend with Finn.

"Oh, no boy talk tonight. Please. We might get a toothache from all the fluff and sugar you go on about." Jess moaned. Rey nodded in accordance. She was happy for her friends, but she had no interest in talking about romantic getaways and big gestures, that both Karé and Rose so often gushed about.

Jess raised her glass of ale to Rey and grinned "To being reasonable and single." The two women downed their drinks in one large gulp, leaving Rey shuddering in disgust. "I'll never get used to this."

"But you belong to us pilots. You should get used to it." Looking over towards Rose, Karé added "And you belong to us pilots as well. You keep us flying."

"About that single thing." Rose started and grinned at both Jess and Rey "Who will the two of you bring to the solstice party?"

It was known that in a few days the summer solstice of Lah'mu would take place and that this would be an important festivity on the western hemisphere of the planet – exactly where the base was.

"I don't think I'll come to this party. I need to meditate and train. I have gotten a bit sloppy in my meditations." Rey shrugged.

"So, will you ask Poe then?" Karé motioned towards Jess. "The two of you always steal everyone's attention with you dance skills."

"Maybe. A little fun with our dashing commander can't hurt." Jess grinned in a way that made the others question her sobriety. "What? Doesn't mean, I'm not still single then next morning."

"Don't you want to witness that, Rey?" Rose asked innocently. "Do you really prefer meditation, when you can watch Jess making a move?"

Rey didn't know what to say. She really had no intention to see Jess and Poe together, especially not, if it went as Jess implied. But she didn't know, why she couldn't be as happy for Jess as she was for Rose and Karé.

"I'm really just tired. I think, I'll just go home right now. I'll think about the party later." And with that she silently walked out of the bar.

On the short way back to the base, she thought about what Leia Organa had said about a person being a home. Rey wanted that very much. How much, she only began to realize. And it scared her a bit to realize who she wanted that home to be.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Lost in communication**

Rey was working on another broken bit of the Falcon. Small lines of frustration formed between her eyes, when she concentrated so hard. She tried to find out what it was this time, that had been broken. "I know, I know. It should be working – but it doesn't." She answered slightly frustrated to a series of grunts and hisses uttered by Chewbacca, who was raising his hairy arms towards her.

The young Jedi sat on the top of the Falcon, throwing a wrench towards Chewbacca, who commented on her using the wrong tool for the task. Chewbacca grunted again, catching the wrench.

"I know, the hydro spanner should do the trick. Can you hand me one, please?", She asked calmer, adding "I'm sorry. I shouldn't whine about it. You took such good care of her for so long. It's my fault, I don't get this done."

Chewbacca answered with another series of grunts.

"No way. We can do this on our own. They have enough on their plates without getting their hands on our baby." Rey recoiled. She had set her mind to the task of fixing this issue. She didn't want to follow Chewbacca's lead of asking Poe Dameron for help. Ever since the talk with General Organa and especially after having talked about the upcoming party with Rose, Karé and Jess, she tried to avoid her friend. She felt a little self-conscious just thinking about him. And she was sad about it.

She could fix the Falcon on her own.

"Rey? Are you trying to repair or destroy that?", a soft voice mockingly asked. It was Rose Tico, who was on her break from duty on the flight deck. Grease graced her friendly smiling face and the jumpsuit.

"Hi Rose. Believe me when I say, I never intend to destroy the Falcon." Rey raised her hands in surrender.

"Permission to come on board?", the mechanic asked, directed at Chewbacca, who simply grunted and motioned towards Rey.

"I should have brought my tools, then?" Rose climbed the ladder, that was put up on the Falcon leading her to the top of the ship. "What ails this beauty today?", she asked and sat down next to Rey.

Rey didn't answer, instead she worked on a broken piece of metal.

"I think, this is beyond repair, Rey." Rose commented and looked around. Apart from the little broken piece, everything else looked well-kept and in order.

"Are you sure the Falcon needs repairs?" It made sense to her, that Chewbacca would growl and moan about Rey's rummaging the hull. But she wondered what made Rey hide in the hangar where nobody dared to disturb her.

Rey sighed and let the piece sink. She drew her knees to herself and let her eyes wander over the hangar. They were the only people in there, even Chewbacca had retreated.

"I wanted to be alone, to be honest. And working with my hands usually calms me down.", she admitted.

"Is it something I said last night?" Rose inquired without much ado. She already knew that something had bothered her friend at the bar.

"I … well, ehm." Rey stuttered. She really didn't know how to talk about this – not even with her best friend. "I'm not really good in talking to people. You know that. And I really don't look forward to a party." She shrugged and wanted to get up already. Only stopped by Rose putting her hand on her arm and smiling made her stay. "I really like hanging with you and Jess and Karé. But all the talking about this party made me nervous."

"Don't worry about it. Nobody is as confident as Jess and Karé. I had no idea how to talk to people either. Give it time." Rose grinned encouragingly. "A lot of their boasting must come from flying. But I think last night, there was also the alcohol speaking."

"But you are good at talking, too. It's so easy to talk to you. You always manage to say the right thing." Rey shrugged. "Everyone likes you."

"Oh no. That's not true. You should have been there, when I made a complete fool of myself when I first met Finn. I practically made mooneyes at him when I simply wanted to introduce myself to him." Rose blushed at the simple thought of it.

Of course, Rey had heard about that day. Finn had told her when they were escaping Crait on the Falcon. The Jedi got lost in that memory for a moment. And her mind wandered to another moment she remembered about that day. She tried to shake the thought of deep brown eyes, the soft curl of his smile and the warmth of his hand on hers. She couldn't fight the little smile that crossed her face for a second.

"I'm really not good with talking to people. I cannot simply invade their minds to hear what they think. I always shut my senses. And without this intuition, I feel blind." Rey admitted shyly. "Before having trained with Master Luke and reading up on the old Jedi texts, I think, I might have sensed other people's thoughts without even realizing it. I always had good instincts and senses. But ever since I shut these senses down, I feel clumsy talking to others."

"I didn't know that." Rose looked at her friend sadly. "Would it help you to read others?"

Appalled, Rey moved away and shook her head. "A Jedi should never ever read other people's minds without their consent. Nobody should do that. It's one of the worst things you could do to another sentient being." She shuddered. "Kylo Ren did that to me, when I was on the Starkiller base. He did it to others, too. Even today, I sometimes get nightmares because of it. It felt like something was ripped from my mind that only belonged to me."

"I didn't know that. I'm so sorry." Rose began to understand, why Rey wouldn't want to use her ability for such a thing. "But we can read people without this ability, too.", She tried. "There's more to see with you won eyes. There's body language. There's touching and of course some people talk completely different to different people. But in order to manage that skill, you actually have to be around people." Rose nudged her friend friendly.

Rey shrugged. "I know these things. But still, I don't always know how to read these signs."

Rose thought about the revelation a bit. "But you seem so at ease when you talk to me or Finn. I never noticed that it troubles you that much." She added smilingly "And you are totally calm when you talk to Poe. There's not the slightest hint of insecurity, when you talk to him. And he's always very relaxed when he's talking to you. So, I think you already know how to communicate with people – better than you realize."

A fierce blush crept to Rey's pale cheeks. "You think so?"

"Well, of course. We are your friends. You should not be embarrassed. If you need help in large gatherings, just let me know. You should not be afraid of this party thing. And don't worry about that date thing. I will not let you feel alone."

"I have no idea, how we even got to this point." Rey whispered. "I have no interest in dates or dancing." She sighed. "But I'm still not going. I want to go back to Ach'To in a bit. I want to feel the force and learn some things, I studied in the old books."

"It would be great to have you at the solstice festivities. But, if you don't feel like going, I won't push it any further."

Rose looked around and after making sure, that the Falcon really didn't need any more work, she smiled softly. "Don't worry so much, Rey. You're a great person and you are loved." She hugged her and started to descend from the ship.

"Thank you."

* * *

"I really don't feel like going to this party. I really need a good night's sleep." Poe Dameron exclaimed in frustration. He walked the long corridor down towards the mess hall with BB-8 in tow. The little droid beeped enthusiastically. "See, even Beebee-Ate know I sleep to little."

"Come on, Poe. You never miss a party.", Jessika Pava teased him. "And you can still sleep after the party. Maybe even better than you expect." She lets the words linger a bit too suggestively for a public place, making Poe blush involuntarily.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Jess." He dismissed his friend's allusion and hurries a little up to get out of a situation, that clearly embarrassed him. Upon walking into the mess hall, he quickly scans the room for an empty seat – it is always hard to find a quiet table at the main rush hour in the evening. He quickly joins the queue and loads up his plate with fruits and bread and finds the place he was looking for.

"Hi Rey.", he greets the Jedi and plops down next to her. "I heard you had more trouble with the Falcon this morning." He casually strikes up a conversation. "You should have her listed in the inventory. It's easier to get spare parts from the official channels then.", he suggests and chews on some bread.

"Chewie doesn't want that. You know how he feels about that." Rey answered quietly. Before she could say anything else, they are joined by Snap, Karé and Jess.

"So – about the party. When are you guys planning on being there?" Snap asks around when sitting down on the opposite side of the table. "Is there an official part that we have to attend? Or can we just come and go as we please?"

"Oh, these two won't even attend. Didn't you know?", Jess motions towards Rey and Poe. She seems a bit miffed about the fact.

"You're not coming? Both of you? Has the general deployed you on another mission again?" Snap asked clueless.

Poe glances towards Rey, who seems to be very focused on her food, tossing it around her plate. He clears is throat and answered reluctantly "I just told Jess, that I'm tired and don't feel like partying much. She just doesn't believe me, that is all."

Karé tilts her head and nods. "Isn't it solstice on Yavin 4 as well soon?"

"Oh shit, man. Sorry. I totally forgot about it." Jess apologizes. "How long has it been?"

"Too long. Maybe, I'll join you later." Poe got up from his seat, shoving the ring dangling from his necklace back under his collar harshly. "Excuse me. I think, I have some report to finish." Without another word he left the mess hall.

"So, why don't you want to attend the party?", Snap went on inquiring Rey. She looked shocked and swallowed the bit of fruit, she had managed to eat. "I'm not into dancing. Excuse me, please." She stood up as well, gathering her plate and Poe's forgotten plate as well.

"Let me guess – you have a report to finish?" Jess smirked. It dawned on her, that she might have stirred something up the other night.

"What exactly did I miss here?", Snap wondered.

"Honey, I think you're as much in the dark as they are." Karé Kun grinned.

* * *

There was a knock on his door. Poe looked up from his desk and rubbed his temple. "Come in."

The door to his quarters slowly opened and Rey entered the room hesitantly. "I think, you forgot your Koyo Melons, you never leave them behind."

She reached out, placing the fruit on Poe's desk. "Is everything alright?" She tried to be as easygoing as usual around her friend. Even though the last few days had left her confused and worried.

"Actually, no." Poe admitted and went over to the small cupboard next to the couch. Being a Commander and especially being friends with General Organa had resulted in him having a larger quarter than being the norm for a Commander. His quarters didn't only consist of a small room with a bunk, but instead were bigger. He had a small living room with a desk and a couch and a bedroom with a private fresher.

He slumped down on the couch, pouring himself a glass of whiskey, that he had gotten from the cupboard. He didn't even ask, if Rey wanted a drink, too. He knew her well enough to know that she didn't like strong alcohol.

Rey went over to the couch and sat down next to him. Softly, she touched his arm. "What is wrong?"

The small and innocent touch of her hand sent a surge of electricity through his body. He liked her – a lot. They had spent a lot of time together, but still it gave him a strange feeling when she casually touched him like that. _We are friends_ , he reminded himself quickly, before answering.

"I know that everyone wants to celebrate the solstice on Lah'mu. But, as Karé so pointedly observed, it's solstice on Yavin 4, as well. Both this planet and the moon I grew up on have similar orbits around their suns. The seasons are similar and the festivities as well. I haven't been home on Yavin 4 in almost ten years. I simply don't want to celebrate another solstice away from home."

"We could get the Falcon and fly to Yavin 4, if you want." Rey offered. She knew it was a bad idea as soon as the words left her mouth, but she hated seeing her friend sad.

"It's not that easy. Yavin 4 was one of the most important bases of the old rebellion. The First Order will have a close lookout for any activity or known ships. Leia explicitly forbids any travel to Yavin 4." Poe took Reys hand and smiled at her. "But I really appreciate the gesture. Even if such a plan would endanger my own father.", he added with a crooked smile.

"Damn, I always miss that one part of information, don't I?" Rey smiled back at him, her insecurity and uneasiness melting away under his smile. "Do you at least want the Koyo Melons, or should I eat them all on my own?"

"Let's share the loot." Poe offered and grinned, taking one of the fruits. "Maybe, we should make the best about the situation and join the others at the party?"

"I really don't want to go. And I asked permission to leave the base for a bit. I need to go back to Ach'To." Rey softly admitted. "There's so much yet to learn for me, and I think the solitude of Ach'To will help me with that." She stared at her hands, not daring to look at Poe. She felt his disappointment. She didn't need to use the force to feel it. He was so clearly projecting his emotions. She hated to let down her friend like that.

Silently they ate the Koyo Melons, until Poe sighs "I'll miss you. How long will you be away?" He didn't care about the magnitude of this admission. He really didn't want to see his friend go.

"I don't know. If I go the direct route, I'll be there within a day. And Chewie won't let me stay there for longer than a week. With everything going on here, you'll hardly notice me being gone at all." Even though Rey was mostly referring to work, she also meant for the party to occupy Poe's mind. "When I'm back, maybe you can tell me all about the solstice traditions on Yavin?"

"I'd like that very much." Poe smiled at her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Missing you feels worse than imagined**

The whole base was bustling with energy. The outlook of a big party always cheered people up, especially after a long time of war and hardship. There was more to the solstice than drinking, dancing and having the chance to hook up with someone, though. General Organa had sent out memos to everyone on the base detailing the local traditions. Not only did she want to make the Rebels aware of the local traditions, but she asked them all to bring an item or tradition of their own cultures to the official celebration as well.

Poe read the memo while working at his desk in his office in the headquarter. It brought a small smile to his face. This was one of the many reasons why he loved and respected the general so much. She always thought of the well-being of her people. It might have come from her being an aristocrat after all, but Poe only knew her as general and could remember her being a friend of his parents all those years ago.

As if on cue, the general peered into his office.

"This is a great idea, Leia." Poe smiled at his superior while closing the document on his data pad. "People will like it, make them less homesick."

"Are you referring to yourself there, Commander?", she addressed him with his rank in a slightly mocking fashion. She already knew about his homesickness. It didn't take Jedi senses to see him being lonely and quieter than usual. She sat down on the chair on the opposite side of the desk. "I understand, what you must feel. You've been with the Rebellion form the very beginning. You helped recruit others from the ranks of the New Republic Navy. You were with us, when we still were just the Resistance. It is tiring to always be on the move and never settle down." Leia sighed and watched the young commander thoughtfully. "I'm so sorry, that we had to declare Yavin 4 a no-fly zone."

She reached out and touched his wrist lightly. "We try to protect who we love, and who is still out there. So many worlds have come under the radar of the First Order." She shortly hesitated before saying a name, that pained her "It is our biggest misfortune, that Kylo Ren knows so much about the Original Rebellion. Many former rebel bases were already ransacked and the locals oppressed. I wouldn't want to endanger the moon that was home to our first big triumph against the empire. And I'm sure, he has a special lookout for you there as well."

"I know, Leia. I know, I'm not the only one who can't go home." Poe surrendered, combing his hands through his hair and offering her a weak smile. "I'm always a good sport about these things. I always show my face at parties, cheer my squad up, when they need it. But I'm just tired. This time, I really don't feel like taking part. Can't you send me on a mission?"

"I will not send you on a mission in that state, Poe." The general shook her head. "In fact, I'll revoke your flight status for a week. And you take a few days off in general. I won't order you to go to the festivities. But, please try to relax. You're no use to the Rebellion if you're completely burnt-out."

"I'm sorry about your son, Leia." Poe just blurted out. It had been bothering him for quite some time now. All the loss the general had to endure, and she was still strong and indestructible.

"Thank you, Poe." She wanted to leave, but reconsidered. With a faint smile she started "If you don't mind, I'd like to share a tradition of my home-world with you. I wouldn't do this in front of everyone, but you are a dear friend to me."

Poe played absentmindedly with the ring dangling from his necklace. "I'd be honored. I'd offer you a drink, but then you would know about my secret stash in my desk leaf." He grinned mischievously.

"Poe Dameron, do you take me for a fool? Of course, I know about the whiskey in your desk. And if I ever just smell a hint of it on your breath when you're on duty, I'll have stripped of your rank for good." The general scolded him. Her features relaxed and she leant back in her seat. "The tradition for every turn of the sun of Alderaan was to share a story with somebody you trust entirely. It was meant to relieve the person telling the story of a painful memory. By sharing the story with somebody else, you can let go of the sentiment and the confidant carries the weight for you, too."

"This sounds very nice." Poe contemplated. "Are you sure, I'm the right person to entrust with something like that?" He felt overwhelmed to be named a confidant by Leia Organa, a person he looked up to.

"Oh yes, you are." Leia smiled. "The thing that pains me the most in all of this." She started with her story. "I keep on losing and losing the people I love. There were only three men in my life, that meant the world to me. I lost the first one, when I was a teenager. I lost Han at the hands of our only child. And I lost Ben – long before he killed his father. And I have no place to go to mourn either of them." A solemn tear ran down her face.

Poe had never witnessed any sign of weakness in Leia. Seeing her shedding a tear almost broke his heart. He took her hand in his and just listened in silence.

"My first love's grave was lost along with my people on Alderaan. My great love wasn't even buried, but the planet was blown up, too. And I'm sure, there won't be a place to mourn Ben, when all this is over." Just above a whisper she added "He won't make it out alive, if there is anything left of him at all."

She sat straight up in her seat, collecting herself and continued with a straight face "And this is how my sorrow will now be safe with you. I'm not supposed to think about it any longer."

"I'm sorry about your many losses, Leia. And I'll guard your memories with my heart." Poe promised. He liked this tradition and felt like sharing a memory of his own. Again, he played with the ring on his necklace.

"Oh, you don't need to share a memory of yours with me. It's an Alderaanian tradition. You should share a Yavinese tradition with someone. And I'm sure, you would want to share that tradition with somebody else." Leia knowingly added.

Poe looked nonplussed. "I don't know who you're referring to."

"Oh, I think you do know." The general rose to her feet and left the office. "Take care of yourself. And thank you for your friendship."

Poe was left alone again in his office. It only now sank in, that he was grounded. "Kriff. I cannot even get away from that solstice thing like that." He groaned and opened his secret stash of whiskey. If he was already grounded and supposed to take a few days off, he could at least have a drink in his office.

In the end, he went to the party after all. It took quite some nagging and whining from Finn, but Poe went to the party. Finn, who had become a confident and level-headed member of the Rebellion, claimed that he needed a wingman at the festivities. This earned him a quizzical glare from Poe, but the older officer agreed to come with him nonetheless.

"You do know, that a wingman in this setting is supposed to help you talk to women to secure you a date." Poe mocked his friend. "I guess, you already excelled in this respect." He motioned towards Rose, who was waiting at the edge of the huge meadow for them. She wore a simple white dress and her dark hair open. Appraisingly, Poe smiled at Rose and engulfed her in a friendly hug.

"You look great, Rose.", he greeted her smilingly. Finn stared at him in disbelief. Of course, the pilot wouldn't hit on his girlfriend, but is always bewildered him, how easy it seemed for Poe to talk to people – even if he claimed he didn't even feel like company.

"Thank you, Poe. You don't look too shabby yourself." Rose grinned. With a wink towards Finn, she added "But of course, you couldn't shine a light to my boyfriend."

"Thank you, Rose. I was starting to worry." Finn teased her. "Wouldn't want you to run off with a pilot, let alone my best friend."

"Don't worry buddy. You know, I'd never do that. And I wouldn't have a say in the matter anyways." Poe added with a nod towards Rose. "Anyways, what did you bring to the official part of the party?"

Rose smiled openly and showed her necklace. "I only carry my sister with me tonight. She would have loved this. I hear there will be a bonfire later and some sort of dance performance by the settlers. I can't wait to see it.", she beamed.

"I wonder how they manage to ignite a bonfire in this humidity.", Finn mused. Then he shrugged "Not much to contribute to the traditions from my side. Phasma was not very festive towards us." He added a little snarky.

Poe punched him friendly on the arm. "Sorry, buddy. I sometimes forget that you weren't raised in such a good place." At which Finn just shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It's in the past. I'd rather work on creating new traditions than dwell in the past." And with that, he slung his arm around Rose's shoulders.

Poe stayed a little behind his friends to give them space. He was truly happy for them and only felt a little lonely. Slowly they went to the center of the meadow, where many people already had gathered.

The official part of the festivities seemed to never end at all. It was beautiful though. Almost half of the audience offered a little something from their respective home worlds. But as the sun went down, the bonfire was lit. It was no normal fire, nothing really was burnt. Instead, a large number of small trees in wooden pots were carried to the center of the meadow, put in a circle and suddenly, the blossoms nested between the leaves began to glow.

 _Rey would love this._ Poe simply thought and couldn't shake this feeling of loneliness. He missed her. She had left for Ahch'To this morning, before he had his talk with Leia in his office. Poe closed his eyes. He could still feel the soft smell of Rey's hair, as she had snuggled against his neck, when she had hugged him goodbye. It was normal to miss a friend like this, wasn't it? And to think of a friend missing a beautiful and not at all romantic spectacle in a starry night was not unusual either. His heartrate picked up and Poe didn't want anything other than to talk to Rey at this moment.

He was interrupted in his train of thoughts, though. A sudden hug and soft hands on his arms caught him totally off guard. "Come on and dance with my, flyboy.", a cheery Jess Pava inquired. Hesitantly Poe followed her. They always danced well together, being used to each other's company and movements. "For old time's sake.", he agreed. That fleeting feeling of longing already was gone again like a breeze.

Jess smirked knowingly "For old time's sake? Are you trying to tell me something, Poe?" She hugged him closer, both attuning the slow rhythm of the music. "You know, I'm feeling a little lonely at the moment. It's been ages since someone held me in his arms.", she mentioned casually and flirty.

Poe didn't react to this in a way she expected. "I have been on my own for more than five years right now. You get used to it." He couldn't stop himself from smirking when he saw the shock in her eyes. "Come on. I know what you have in mind." At this she grinned and inched even closer to him, earning a head shake from the pilot. "Sorry, Jess. But we're no longer in the academy. I can't be what you want and need right now."

Jess moved only a little from him, a sad smile crossing her face. "The day had to come." She sighed. "At least let me dream for a little and don't stop dancing."

A puzzled Poe picked up the rhythm again and swirled her around the bonfire. "I envy her. I truly do. But the two of you will make a nice couple." She finally said without resentment. She reached up to Poe and kissed his cheek. "I enjoyed being with you at the academy, and I'm happy to be your friend. But I have to let go of you now. Or I might start crying. And I don't want this to be my contribution to the solstice festivity."

Jess started walking away, into the darkness of the solstice night. Poe felt completely lost. What had he said, that caused such a drama?

On the far away shores of Ahch'To Rey wandered the Jedi steps to cliffs, where she first had felt the true magnitude of the force. She picked up Master Luke's robe, that still lay on the rock and through them on. She hugged the thick fabric to herself and stared into the sunset before starting to clear her mind. She reached out, sorting through every emotion and memory that came to her.

A soft sigh escaped her mouth when she started to feel the energy around her. She felt totally at peace. No longing, no sadness and no insecurity could trouble her.

 _"_ _Running away is not the best solution, Rey."_ She heard a familiar voice and started smiling.

"I hoped to contact you like that, Master Luke."

 _"_ _Coming here was not wise. There is nothing left for you on this planet. And the Lanai haven't recovered from your last visit, either."_

"I won't shoot any more holes in the huts, I promise. And I won't practice with my light saber near the rocks, either." Rey jokingly added. It seemed like the odd humor of her teacher had rubbed off on her a little.

" _I see, you're no longer the lonely scavenger that came her all those years ago. And you built your own lightsaber, too." T_ he force ghost of Luke Skywalker assessed. _"But something troubles you."_

Rey wanted to start pouring out her doubts, when the ghost simply disappeared. "Well, that doesn't really help me.", she shouted into the howling winds of Ahch'To.

 _"_ _Neither does running away, Rey. Confront what you fear. And don't cling to every word in the Jedi texts. That didn't exactly help me, either."_ The force ghost said, before he disappeared again.

Rey sighed and tried to focus again, without much luck. She started descending from the cliff again, deciding to at least spend the night in Luke's old hut.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Will you pick me up, please?**

Upon entering the old hut Rey shrugs off Luke Skywalker's cloak, carefully putting it on the small cot in one of the corners of the room. She sighed and sat down at the small desk. Curiously she took in the little belongings of her Master that had gathered dust over the years. "I hope you don't mind me being here.", She mumbled. "But if I remember correctly, emyou/em blew up the other hut where I was staying." With a sudden shudder she remembered that night, when she had made contact with Kylo Ren through the force.

She was so young and naïve to think it was in her power to bring the Supreme Leader of the First Order back to the light side. She had nothing to offer to him, that could convince him back then. She thought about that time. Those encounters in the force had been strange – and in retrospect – creepy. A single tear ran down her face when she contemplated the duel on the Supremacy. Not for the blink of an eye had she considered joining Kylo Ren. He had tried to hurt and humiliate her, when he had called her a "nothing". She had known it in her heart back then, that this wasn't true. Before having gone to Ahch'To she had met wonderful people who only showed her kindness and love. She thought of Han Solo, who had offered her a job on the Falcon. With a smile she remembered the enthusiasm and easy flirting, that Finn had tried on her even back on Jakku. And of course, there was Leia. She treated her with such warmth and kindness.

Over the course of those five years since she had left Ahch'To, another person had shown her that she mattered. Poe Dameron – damn those soft eyes, that warm voice and this kindness. Rey sighed. "But, he's my friend. And, I'm a Jedi. I'm not supposed to feel like that."

 _"Like what?"_ Luke Skywalker appeared again in front of her. _"And don't worry about going through my stuff. I don't need this anymore. And the cottage needs some house-keeping, while you're at it."_

"You want me to clean up this mess?", Rey exclaimed with furrowed brows. Being the housekeeper for a force ghost hadn't really been her idea of deepening her understanding of the force – and those nagging feelings inside her head.

 _"When I came to train with my Master on Dagobah, he lectured me on warriors and greatness. He taught me to stay humble and not overestimate my own place in the universe."_ Luke went on to start a lesson himself. " _A little tidying-up won't hurt you either. And it would redeem you in the eyes of the Lanai – as it doesn't look like you'll leave anytime soon"_.

Rey picked up the broom, that was leaning in the corner next to the cot and started sweeping the floor. "I won't stay too long anyways. Chewbacca fears we'll carry even more Porgs off the island, if the Falcon is parked long enough." She quickly got rid of most of the dust off the floor. She glanced at the desk, unsure whether or not she should get the cobwebs off the items strewn across the surface.

 _"Never mind, Rey. I was merely joking. I'm more interested in your conflicting emotions than the garbage on my old desk."_

Rey stared into the darkness of the room. So far, she only had heard Luke Skywalker speaking. She blinked a little, as she thought she saw something on the periphery. A blueish figure appeared out of thin air.

"Master Skywalker. It is really you?" Rey smiled and approached him. "I'd love to hug you, but I guess that wouldn't work."

Luke smiled fondly but raised a hand to stop her. _"No, you cannot touch me, and I cannot touch anything in this realm. I'm just here in the force. Or do you think, the keepers would allow for this mess?"_

Rey looked around. "No, not really." She contemplated the fact, that her reluctant former Master was very visibly present. "This is possible, because of the force of the island, right?"

 _"You always were a quick learner."_ Luke answered approvingly. " _You haven't yet beaten my nephew?"_

Shaking her head, Rey answered "No. But we're gathering strength. The fleet is almost as strong as before. Leia and Poe lead the Rebel Alliance. And I think, I'll be soon in a place, where I can face him again. This time, we'll finish them for good."

 _"Leia._ " Luke uttered with a sad smile. _"Keep an eye on her, please. She has been fighting for so long. She deserves some peace in this galaxy. Even if it means – well, you know, what I want to say. Don't try to save him again."_

"I'm sorry, I didn't trust you back then." Rey stared intently at her shoes. She felt responsible for Luke's demise after having gone to seek out Kylo Ren.

 _"Don't blame yourself, Rey._ Luke said with a soft smile. _"I didn't follow my master's advice either, when I was in your position. I tried to save my friends, when I saw them in a vision. It cost me my arm and Han almost his life."_

Rey still stared intently at her shoes. She still felt embarrassed about her decision to go after Kylo Ren back then.

 _"Hey Rey. It's no good to live in the past. You made that call because you believed there was a chance for him to come back to the light side. It might have been a bad call, but you were convinced of it. I made the same call, when I confronted my own father – Darth Vader. I was lucky, in the end, he came back to the light. Even if it was too late for him. It is a good thing to believe in the goodness of people. I should have taught you better, when you came here. If I had told you all about Kylo Ren's fall towards darkness, you might have not gone after him. Or you still might have wanted to safe him. We don't know that. But I should have put all the cards on the table, so you could have taken a wiser choice."_

Rey sighed, but nodded in accordance.

 _"But – Rey, he's not the one you have conflicting feelings about, right?"_ Luke's force ghost sounded appalled at the mere thought of the possibility.

"Oh god. No way. I was only sad about how that whole thing on the Supremacy went down. I was so naïve to think I, a nobody from nowhere, could save the Resistance by turning Kylo Ren back to the light."

 _"First of all, you're not a nobody from nowhere. Kriff, you live with the Resistance. My sister should have already made you aware of the fact, that you belong to them. And then, I was a nobody from nowhere myself, when I joined the Rebellion. It doesn't matter, where you come from. And you should never listen to anyone who tries to devalue you."_

Rey softly smiled. "I guess, when you become a legend, the origin of that legend often gets forgotten."

 _"Look at this, I actually taught you something./em Luke chuckled. em"So, young Jedi. Who do you like and are insecure about? Don't tell me, it is a pilot. They are trouble. Ask my sister."_

Rey blushed at what was meant to be a harmless joke and stammered: "Well, to be honest, well…" She coughed slightly "Am I even allowed to like somebody? The Jedi texts go on about the forbiddance of attachment. I thought, that means a Jedi has to be celibate."

 _"It is a tricky question, to be honest. The old Jedi Order – after everything I researched about it – forbade attachment. That is true. And it caused the demise of the Order, when one of their own fell in love and married in secret. By trying to abide by the rules and still protect, wo he loved, he ended the Jedi way altogether. This is, was Darth Vader caused."_ Luke explained. With a sad smile he added. _"Well, I lived a lonely and isolated life. I tried to follow the rules and revive the way of the Jedi Order. Did it do me any good? I don't know. I rather think, it is a good call to follow your heart. Try to be true to yourself. Don't force yourself to give up or avoid things or people who in fact make your life better and fuller."_

"So, loving somebody is okay? Or do you just refer to being compassionate?", Rey blushed even harder. After not having had a parental figure in her life when she was younger, this conversation started to feel a lot like "the talk", that Rose had told her about some time ago.

 _"I don't think, you are speaking hypothetically here. Am I right?"_ Luke inquired.

"Well. Yes. There is somebody. He is my friend. But I think, I might feel more than just friendship for him. And I'm afraid, I could go to the dark side, if I follow my feelings."

 _"So, your friend. Does he make you feel welcome and cherished?"_

At this, Rey nodded.

 _"Does he make you feel valued, respected and understood?"_

Rey nodded again.

 _"Does he act impulsive or does he show possessiveness? Does he devalue other people or put them down?"_

"No, not at all."

 _"What feeling does he invoke, when you think about him?"_

Rey answered, without hesitating: "He feels like home. I feel calm and secure, when I work with him. He always listens to my advice." With a little smiled, she added "He doesn't necessarily follow my advice, but he takes me seriously. And I feel drawn to him. Not in a negative or creepy way. I feel drawn to him, because, well – I really don't know why."

 _"Well, sounds a lot like you're in love. And if this person is everything you just told me, I don't think, he would ever lead you to the dark side."_

"He grew up with a force tree in his backyard. Isn't that a dangerous thing?" Rey added for consideration.

 _"You're in love with Shara Bey's son?/em Luke realized and chuckled. em"If he is anything like his parents, you made a good call. Although we know, that good parents don't necessarily lead to good offspring."_

"Why does a force tree grow at his childhood home?"

Luke shrugged. _"Because I gave the sapling to my friend, when she retired from active duty. I wanted to safeguard this precious plant, that was almost extinct by the time we found it. And her and Kes Dameron had a farm, so they should have known how to take care of a plant."_

Rey chuckled. "So, no reason to worry about it?"

 _"You launched yourself into the abyss on Ahch'To without hesitation. And you're telling me, you're afraid of a guy who grew up with a force tree in his parent's orchard?"_ Luke summarized bewildered. " _There's no need to be afraid here, at least not of the tree. Don't get selfish in what you want. Don't be afraid of the things you do not yet know. That is the way to stay clear of the darkness. But I think, it is time for that old Jedi Code to end."_

"Or at least, we could adept it for our present times?", Rey offered. She really didn't want to go back to that conversation she had had with Luke five years ago, where he wanted the Jedi to end.

 _"You could do that. Your time, your rules."/em The blueish shine started to pale around Luke Skywalker. em"I think, it is time for you to go home. Our lesson is completed."_

"I agree, Master Luke. Thank you for your counsel. I'll go home." Rey smiled and couldn't prevent herself from picturing dark brown eyes and a soft smile appearing in her mind at the mention of home.

* * *

Back on Lah'mu another day had started, the base bustled with activity. Poe, being still off-duty, headed to the gym. He didn't enjoy working out, but as he had nothing else to do, he decided to do something about his fitness. He was accompanied by his ever-loyal droid, who was beeping excitedly.

"No, buddy. We won't go flying today. General Organa has grounded me." Poe explained and chuckled, as his droid beeped frantically. "No worries. It's nothing bad. I didn't do anything wrong and neither did you. She just thinks, we should take some time off. You could get that maintenance done you complained about, when we last flew together."

Another series of beeps, this time sounding almost worried, followed. "Beebee-Ate, you should know, that I would never allow for anyone to touch your memory chips. But you could have Artoo oversee that maintenance, if you are too worried about it."

With a disapproving beep, BB-8 rolled away.

"Good luck with that, buddy.", Poe laughed and entered the gym.

It was empty. He eyed the punch bag in the corner and decided to give it a try. At least preparing for physical combat would also train his reflexes. And that could never be a bad choice when it came to flying, either. The commander started tying up his hands with tape, while jumping in place to warm up. He wouldn't admit it, but he enjoyed boxing and martial arts quite a lot. He had picked up on some outer rim martial arts lately. And these were the moves he wanted to repeat in this session.

It started as a slow and flowing sequence of movements. He breathed steadily and calmly, while executing every movement with precision and calculation. A lunge of the left forearm and fist, followed by ducking sideways and moving his right foot as if to pull an opponent's leg. The swift movements and calculated motions were something Rey had taught him. And it was not surprising, that Poe Dameron trained after a technique that his friend had taught him recently.

After having left the solstice party, it had been almost impossible for the dark-haired pilot and leader of the Reborn Rebels Alliance to close his eyes and not think about his friend.

"Kriff. Why do you always have to be on my mind." Poe sighed while heavily breathing, when he had finished the routine.

"Do you mind if I join you?", a small and almost timid voice asked. Poe looked closely to where the voice came from, only to see a pale and almost grey-looking Jessica Pava shuffling into the gym.

"Of course not. Come on in, this is not a private session." Poe waves her to enter the room. "You look like hell, Jess." He noticed unceremoniously.

"Well thank you. You don't look too sharp, either.", the pilot scoffed, while bandaging her wrists. Obviously, she wanted to punch something, too.

"Couldn't sleep. Maybe it was those strange blooms. They were quite impressive; don't you think so?" Poe tried to lighten the atmosphere.

Jessika friendly scoffed and shook her head. "Yeah, sure. That must be it. Or maybe, you're just very lovesick and miss the person you long for?"

Poe raised his eyebrow at his friend and said "I'm really sorry about last night, Jess. I know, we had this fling at the academy and hooked up from time to time. I didn't mean to hurt you by turning you down last night. I'm sorry for being a lousy friend."

Jess tried her best to smile. "Don't worry. I know we're friends. And I knew it was supposed to be a one-time thing back then. It's not your fault you're so damn charming and gorgeous." Jess grinned. "Well, it is your fault you're so charming. But never mind." She drew her knees to herself and perched into the corner of the punching bag. "I really get, why you fell for her. She is like a saint, something really special."

"What do you mean?", Poe shot her a quizzical look.

"Come on. Everybody sees what you are too blind or obnoxious to see." She shook her head again in disbelief. "You like Rey. And if you don't act on it, I swear to the gods, I will."

Poe chuckled at the threat. "Oh, is that so? You'll make a move on Rey? I didn't know, you liked women that way."

"It's a big universe, and I wouldn't want to limit myself to charming male pilots."

"Are we good?" Poe asked her nervously. He didn't want to lose his friend, and he wanted to divert her from the topic of the hazel-eyed Jedi, he so clearly and dearly missed.

"Always, Commander. I wouldn't want to be on your bad side. We're partners after all."

At this moment, Poe's communicator started beeping. He lunged towards it and hit the "receive" button.

"Commander Dameron receiving, what is the matter?", he answered the call breathlessly. Apparently, the workout had left him a little shaky after all. Time to do more for his fitness, he decided in this moment.

em"Commander Dameron, please report to the war room. There's a situation on Dantooine."/em Leia Organa's voice could be heard over the comms.

"Dantooine? We don't have a base there at the moment." Jess interjected the comms, earning her a grunt from Poe.

"I'm on my way, General." Poe answered instead and switched off the communicator. "Sorry Jess. It seems like a bad new habit for me to leave you in the middle of a conversation. If the general needs the squadron, I'll let you know. And you can be sure, I would never want to be on your bad side either."

With this, the Commander had left the gym, running down the halls to the war room.

Upon entering, he could already see the worry in Leia Organa's face.

"What is the matter, General? I came here as fast as I could.", the pilot said breathlessly.

"Oh, good. I need you back on active duty. Chewbacca and Rey had to make an emergency landing on Dantooine. They were on their way back from Ahch'To when their engines gave out. Both the hyperdrive and the backup hyperdrive appear to be out of order." Leia Organa summed up the nature of the emergency without further ado.

"Are they okay?" Poe couldn't hide the worry in his voice as he asked.

"Yes, they are healthy and in one piece. But we need to send a repair crew and a shuttle to pick them up or at least bring the Falcon back into space." Leia overlooked the worry in her trusted officer's voice and motioned for Rose Tico and Finn to join them, who had just entered the war room.

"Rose, how are you advancing on the spare parts for the Falcon? They need repair on both hyper drives." She asked matter-of-factly.

"We have a substitute drive for the main engine. But the backup hyperdrive hasn't been maintained in over ten years. The log book shows a replacement about twenty years ago, after that, there is no entry on any upkeeping. It's totally busted. We need to completely replace it, General." Rose's cheeks blushed with excitement. She loved being asked about her expertise. And of course, she never missed a chance to bring up the Millenium Falcon's maintenance. She really wanted that ship to be under her supervision.

"So, the plan is to bring Rose to Dantooine, have the Falcon repaired enough to make the flight home and have her properly inspected once on Lah'mu." General Organa explained to the people present. "In order to do so, we are sending a shuttle to Dantooine."

Before Poe could say anything – and he was eager to interject his superior's brief – General Organa raised her hand. "I know, you want to volunteer, Commander Dameron. And with your flight status being revoked, this is a problem."

"Please, General. Let me give Rose a lift to Dantooine. We already know, who is going to be in charge of the repairs." Poe eagerly explained. He ran a hand through his tousled hair and tried his best not to look too worried.

General Organa sighed. "I think, I couldn't keep you, even if I tried." She quickly typed a series of numbers into the holo pad in front of her. "Your flight status is reinstated – but only on probation. I still think, you need to take a few days off. But I also understand your concern for the Falcon's status and its crew's wellbeing."

"Thank you, General. I'd like to take a small shuttle to Dantooine, accompanying Rose. She should lead the repair team, if she needs any assistance in bringing the Falcon and its crew home safely." Poe reasoned.

The general looked around the faces in the war room. "I agree, Commander. Please report back as soon as you picked up our Jedi and Chewbacca. And please, put the Falcon on the Rebellion's inventory for crying out loud. This would never have happened if she were under Rose's control."

On this cue, the officers and Rose left the war room to head off to the "rescue" mission.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: There is so much green on Dantooine**

"Could you please stop fidgeting in your seat?", Rose inquired with a sideway glance towards Poe Dameron, who had opted for the co-pilots seat in the small, but very fast shuttle.

"If you didn't trust my flying skills, you should have taken the helm yourself."

"Oh no, I trust your skills. You needed the practice more than I do." Poe answered while checking the instruments. Everything looked perfectly normal, just the distance to Dantooine seemed to not get any smaller. He sighed and ran a hand through his tousled hair. "In an X-Wing, the flight to Dantooine is much faster."

"Well, but we couldn't bring the substitute hyperdrive to the Falcon in an X-Wing. Apart from the simple fact, that I couldn't fly there in one. I'd rather keep them in the air than do that flying myself." Rose was her cheerful and excited self. Nevertheless, she suspected something other than the travel time to keep Poe Dameron on edge. She could hardly hide her knowing smile. As she didn't want to mock a Commander of the Reborn Rebel Alliance, she diverted the conversation to a safe topic. "What is the plan, once we arrive on Dantooine?"

"Simple thing. We stick to established routines. We check on Rey and Chewbacca, make sure they are unharmed. And then we immediately proceed to the repairs. With any luck, we'll be home on Lah'mu in just a couple of hours."

Neither of them expected any complications. Rose had started studying the schematics of the Millenium Falcon already as soon as possible, when Rey and Chewbacca had swept in to save the remains of the Resistance on Crait. As soon as she had woken up from her coma back then, but was still unable to return to active duty, she asked for every little bit of information that had been available. Not only herself, but also Rey, Poe Dameron and Leia Organa had known the brisance of the Falcons existence. The ship had been vital for the survival of the Resistance. With a skilled mechanic like Rose, they could take care of maintenance and upkeep even when the Falcon's crew was occupied with actually flying the ship. Rose had practically fallen in love with the legendary ship and seized every chance to get her hands on its machinery.

When the Rebels picked up again and set their permanent base on Lah'mu, she had less chances to work on the Falcon. If she could divert time from her schedule, it was always Rey, who was in charge of the repairs and Rose was only allowed to help a little. But this day, she wanted to install the substitute drive herself.

"Okay. Sounds like a great plan. And by the way, we're jumping out of hyperspace in a bit. Could you locate their position on the surface, so I can program the landing routine?", Rose asked.

"No way, I'll take over the controls, once we start the landing sequence. You're a good pilot, Rose. But Dantooine is not the easiest planet to land on. There are many forests and the weather can make it even more tricky." Poe refuted Rose's claim for the task. He smiled at the thought of forests and a lot of green. emRey must enjoy being stranded here. It's her kind of vegetation. So much green./em

"But, let me learn how to land a shuttle, soon. Okay? What good does a pilot do if she cannot land the vehicle?"

"I promise to schedule you in for flight training. Transports, shuttles and if you want to advance, you may start training for the X-Wings. You'd be on a waitlist, but I'd see to it, that you get practice." Poe promised and took over the controls.

* * *

The deep forests on Dantooine crawled with wildlife. The flora and fauna was rich and vibrant. Rey closed her eyes, when she stepped outside the Falcon and reached out. She felt calm and at peace. The last few days had been so full of energy and revelations for her, she longed for tranquility. In the green of the forest, she found her calm and secure sanctuary. She didn't even know what kinds of animals or plants were out there, but she didn't feel threatened by any of the creatures around.

The young Jedi had left the damaged Millenium Falcon and Chewbacca for a moment to meditate. She knew they were both safe and stranded for a bit. They had sent a signal back to Lah'mu asking for help, but it took at least half a standard day for them to be on Dantooine. Even after five years with the Resistance Rey still was amazed at how quickly and without much ado people helped each other and went to each other's aid, if a situation required it. Had she stayed on Yakku and stranded in a remote location, there would have come nobody. She would have had to fight for her survival and make do with what her surroundings gave her.

But now, she simply had to reach out to her friends, tell them what happened, and they send a rescue party. This simple and reassuring thought made her smile. She had a home. Her friends were her home and they would come to pick her and Chewbacca up and take her home. Technically, they wouldn't pick them up, as neither Rey nor Chewbacca would leave the Falcon behind. But they would bring the spare parts to repair the hyper-drive and make the trip back to Dantooine together.

As if on cue, her comm beeped and she heard a low growl, when she activated the comm. "Oh, thank you, Chewbacca. I'll be back in a second." Rey answered. The Wookie had informed her about the imminent arrival of a shuttle, that had identified itself as Reborn Rebel Alliance.

Walking with a little bounce in her stride she made it back to the Falcon in the exact same moment as the shuttle hovered over the clearing in the forest. It was almost too small for the shuttle to fit next to the Falcon. The person piloting the shuttle must have been a very skilled and experienced pilot to manage this maneuver.

"Poe.", Rey breathed just above a whisper. She grinned from ear to ear and ran the last few meters back to the ships. She hadn't expected Leia to send Poe on this mission. It was just a quick repair and recover assignment, too easy and unimportant to send one of the senior officers to. She reached out in the Force to see if she was right about the crew. Having been to Ahch'To had made her more comfortable to use the Force for such an innocent thing as reaching out to her friends.

She felt Chewbacca's warm presence. She felt, that he was agitated and buzzing with energy. It was a common thing to be surrounded by. Rey always felt safe and calm in this presence. She reached out again and felt the bright and vibrant energy surrounding Rose. The Jedi smiled. She was happy to have her best friend with her. Hesitating, as she never actively searched for Poe Dameron's presence in the Force, she bit her lip. Softly and only very carefully she reached for him. She was practically hit by a wave of warmth and brightness at the same time. She smiled.

"Rey, do you ever plan on helping us here?", Rose poked her head out from the lowered ramp at the Falcon. Rey's reaching out in the Force must have taken longer thatn she realized. She didn't even notice Rose and Poe exiting from the shuttle much less them already being on the Falcon. emI should not get lost in the Force. No matter how nice it is to feel my friends there./em She felt a small blush rising in her cheeks.

"Hey Rose. Thank you so much for picking us up." She ran towards her friend and quickly hugged her. "I never thought that both hyper drives would give out at once. You should have heard Chewbacca complaining about it. As if the Falcon was dying and he to eulogize it." The two women started entering the Falcon, when Rey watched around.

"Where is Poe?", she asked her friend, who only raised an eyebrow in return. "How do you know he is here?"

"I felt him in the Force." Rey answered without hesitating. Upon realizing that she usually didn't do that, she added. "I felt you all in the Force. I learnt a thing or two, when I was on Ahch'To these past few days."

"Yeah, sure." Rose giggled. "He is with Chewbacca. They wanted to install the replacement drive. It's the easy task. I left it to them. I'll be in charge of the real repairs. I'll even fight a Wookie, if he doesn't let me do this on my own." The short mechanic put her hands on her hips to mark her words.

"Oh god. Please don't fight Chewie. He is already a bit older than you are. It would be rude to do so.", Rey joked and made her way to the engine room.

Her heartrate quickened at the sight of Poe Dameron. He was crouched over the opening in the engine room, where the secondary hyper drive was mounted. He was discussing the exact way to put the drive into the opening with a very agitated Chewbacca. She could only see the back of Poe's head, the familiar mop of curls, the grease stained shirt and the arch of his back.

"If you think this is the correct way, buddy? You fly her longer than I have." Poe answered an especially loud hiss from below. "Of course, I don't fly the Falcon. That is not what was saying at all."

"I thought you wanted to keep that a secret.", Rey announced her presence with a small giggle.

Poe turned around and his face light up like a beam. He got up from where he had been kneeling and hugged Rey. "Are you okay?" He asked breathlessly, reluctant to let go of Rey.

The Jedi smiled and answered "I know how to crash land a space ship. Everything is still in place. No worries." Teasingly she added "I might have picked that up from you. After all, you're the expert in crash-landing on remote planets."

From the deck below Chewbacca moaned and growled.

"If you're done flirting, we could finish our work.", Rose could be heard from below deck, too.

With a violent blush in her cheeks, Rey let go of Poe and cleared her throat. "Sorry, Rose. I didn't mean to be in your way. I already undid all the hinges on the engine in this section before you arrived. You should be able to finish the task rather quickly down there. Chewie knows exactly what you have to do." She quickly moved to the topic at hand.

"I know, Rey. But both you and Poe are a little bit in our way. Couldn't you guys take care of our provisions? Chewie and I don't need you at the moment and we will be stuck on Dantooine overnight."

Poe raised an eyebrow in surprise. Normally it would be his task to order everyone around, him being the highest-ranking officer of the Rebellion in this mission. But he didn't mind Rose's friendly pushiness. And he absolutely didn't mind the excuse to spend some time just with Rey, even if it was part of the mission.

"Well, before Rose throws some tools at us, let's better follow her command." Poe smiled, sent a mock salute in the general direction of Rose and Chewbacca and motioned for Rey to leave the danger zone. His comment was accompanied by a series of approving growls from the lower deck. "He really doesn't like me onboard the Falcon, right?"

"Don't take it personally. I already told you that he doesn't even like me taking the Falcon out without him." Rey assured him and followed him. "What should we check with the provisions? We're only here for a couple of hours and we sit on two fully-stocked Resistance ships. There isn't any actual work for us to do."

"Let's check the perimeter instead, make sure there's no hostile wildlife out there that could eat us in our sleep or damage the ships.", Poe suggested and took his blaster from the holster, setting it to stun.

Rey stepped aside herself, making a detour over the common room of the Falcon, where she had put her staff. This didn't feel like a task to take her Lightsaber to. "Okay, let's do that. But I didn't feel any hostility out there at all. Everything feels very calm."

* * *

"What do you mean, you didn't feel any hostility at all out there?" Poe asked as they walked down the ramp and entered the forest. He felt the warmth of the late-afternoon sun on his face, smelled the rich perfume of the plants and blossoms and heard the myriad of voices in the trees. "It almost feels like Yavin 4, just a little cooler and less humid. But how can you determine there's no hostility out there? The jungle can feel very hostile."

"There is this is thing called the Force, you remember?" Rey nudged Poe in the side with a grin. She walked ahead onto a narrow path that led away from the clearing.

Poe tried to keep up with Rey. She was a very fast and silent walker, almost like a hunter. Rey wore her usual grey tunic and pants, combined with the usual arm wraps. Even with her being just a little shorter than him, she could outrun the pilot whenever she wanted. Poe admired her strength and had to admit to himself, that he also enjoyed watching her lean muscles showing between her tunic and her arm wraps.

"I know about the Force. And hell yes, I know that you are a Jedi. I just hadn't thought about the possibility that you would use your abilities for a security check. Clever thinking, by the way. Did you already check the area when you crash-landed here?" He tried to steer the conversation to a topic that wouldn't allow for him to stare at his friend. When the had last seen each other, he hadn't even thought about what she meant to him apart from their friendship. But now, there didn't pass a waking moment, when he didn't think about it.

"Well, I think intuition and the best co-pilot in the galaxy helped with that." Rey glanced at Poe who seemed to be unusually tense. Rey reached out in the Force, checking the surroundings and reached out to the warm and bright outline of Poe Dameron's presence. She would never invade his thoughts and feelings, but she worried a little about his tenseness. She physically reached out to him and put a hand on his arm. "Is everything alright with you?"

"Probably just tired." Poe lied without even blinking. "Genera Organa grounded me. She even put me off active duty, because she thinks I'm overworked. This mission is an exception. And I even let Rose fly here." He kicked a little bit of moss from the path. He would never risk their friendship by admitting that the reason for his turmoil was that rising warm feeling in his gut, that surge of electricity in every little touch and gesture they shared. He could not tell her, that every little smile and her bright hazel followed him into his dreams.

"Just taking the Falcon and excusing myself to Ahch'To for training is a privilege, I know." Rey softly admitted. "I'd love to share that privilege with you. A trip to Ahch'To would probably help you with all this tenseness." She had noticed how tired Poe had been, before she had left for Ahch'To. Nevertheless, she suspected yet another reason and thought about the solstice festivities and his homesickness.

"How was the solstice on Lah'mu? Did you go to the party?" She remembered how reluctant he had been to go there.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Finn insisted. He wouldn't let me cop out of the party. And it wasn't so bad after all." Poe shot her a quizzical look. He remembered dancing with Jess and couldn't shake the sudden thought of how it would have been to dance with Rey instead. "I realized some things that I didn't knew before."

"Oh, really? What did you realize?" Rey asked, thinking about the conversation she had had with her friends at the bar. _"So, Jess and Poe had their fun. If it makes them happy. Who am I to judge."_ Rey sighed. She longed for a home, but if Poe didn't feel the same way about her, it was not her place to say something about it. She didn't want to risk their friendship.

"I realized that you missed a really great and almost magical bonfire. And next year, I will make sure you don't miss it." Poe answered surprisingly.

They had stopped walking and stood side by side at the edge of a small clearing that was divided by a narrow stream. Rey glanced her friend insecurely. Their hands briefly touched, when Rey raised her hand to put a lose strand of hair behind her ear. Even without reaching out in the Force, Rey felt a strange and undeniable energy surge between them.

"Oh, I don't think I missed that much. Too many people, too many thoughts and emotions in one place. I think I could handle them by now. But I needed that time on Ahch'To. I saw the presence of Master Luke there. He taught me an important lesson." She mused and a sad smile clouded her face. Such an important lesson it had been, and now it felt like it was completely futile for her current situation.

"Maybe we could go to the next party together?" Poe offered. "You don't enjoy the copany of too many people, I don't really feel like partying at the moment. We would be perfect together at a party. And it would give us the perfect excuse to leave early."

"You're a great friend, Poe." Rey smiled. "I'll take you up on the offer. But I think, instead of partying, we should focus on finally kicking the First Order to the curb. That way, you could celebrate the next solstice on Yavin 4 instead of Lah'mu." She squeezed his hand and her glance lingered on his face, focusing on his mouth for just the fraction of a moment. She couldn't shake the question inside her head. _What would it be like to kiss him?_ She dropped her hand and turned around.

Suddenly her comm beeped. Without hesitating she activated it and a series of growls could be heard. "It seems like we have company. Chewbacca registered a couple of incoming ships in the system. They are approaching the planet. We should get back to our ships." Rey informed Poe and was somehow relieved. Even if it meant they had to get off Dantooine in a hurry and probably with just one functioning engine, she couldn't endure the strange energy between her and her friend for much longer.

"Okay, let's get to the ships." Poe agreed and together they dashed through the woods. A little breathlessly he called after her "But we should take some time off on Lah'mu and catch up? What do you think?"

Rey turned around in the middle of the jog, causing Poe to almost crash into her. "What do you mean? In the mess, together with everyone else?"

The always confident and calm pilot smiled an insecure smile, noticing how near they were to each other. He answered "Actually, I wanted to catch up with you – not with the entire squadron and Chewbacca. Do you think you could endure a dinner off-base just with me?"

"Do you mean, ehm… like, a … date?" Rey stammered in surprise and felt the suspicious blush creep into her cheeks again.

"If you want it to be a date, I'd very much enjoy calling it a date." The pilot agreed with the warmest smile, Rey had ever seen on him.

Before she could answer, the comm beeped again. "Okay, it looks like we're in trouble. Let's catch up later on Lah'mu."

Together they ran as fast as possible to the ships that were already powering up. Rey quickly made it up the ramp of the Falcon, only shortly turning around to witness Poe Dameron climbing into the shuttle safely. The next instant both ships already blasted off towards the atmosphere, where they were greeted by a squadron of Tie-Fighters.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: An unplanned detour keeps me away from you**

The Falcon chased into space, leaving the atmosphere of Dantooine behind, as soon as Rey had boarded and the ramp had been pulled up. The small shuttle Poe was piloting followed them close behind.

Rey had taken her seat at the helm of the Falcon and steered the freighter directly towards the attacking Tie fighters.

„What are you doing?" she heard Poe over the comms.

„I try to give you a head start. You are not as well-armed as we are. Make the jump into hyperspace, we'll follow you as soon as these buggers are dealt with.", She answered, which earned her an approving growl from Chewbacca, who was in the co-pilots chair, as usual. He added another series of growls, which Rey answered „That's true. I'll head down to the canons."

With that, she jumped out of her seat, putting the comm set down and running to the weapon's tower.

As soon as she buckled in, she took aim at the first Tie Fighter, that was chasing after the little shuttle Rose and Poe flew in. Before actually shooting the Tie Fighter, Rey took a moment to appreciate the elegance and verve with which Poe out-maneuvered the attackers. „Come on, make the jump already.", She mumbled under her breath, when she took out one of the fighters.

Suddenly, the Falcon shook and swerved off-course. Rey tried to make out whether or not they were hit. „Chewie, what was that? I can't see any Tie's on my side." She started fishing for the comm set that was lying at the bottom of the weapon's tower. Once she reached it, she put it on her head and started connecting to the shuttle.

„Poe, what's going on with you? Get out of here. This is not the time for showing off your flight skills.", The Jedi shouted into the comm anxiuously.

„Don't worry, Rey. We're getting out of here. Thanks for clearing the path. See you back at home.", Came Poe's voice through the comm and made Rey shake her head in disbelief. „May the Force be with you." She signed off from the comm and watched the shuttle swerve and spiral between the oncoming Tie fighters, that had reappeared that instance. A moment later, the shuttle was gone - having made the jump to hyperspace.

„Okay, where did we stop? Exactly - taking out the First Order.", Rey mumbled to herself and took aim at the first enemy ship. With certain aim and a clean shot, one Tie after the other was incapacitated. Rey usually just disarmed her enemies. She was no friend of killing and only resorted to such harsh measures in self-defense. As Poe and Rose had already made it out of the danger zone, she chose to not kill her opponents.

„Chewie, let's get out of here as well. Maybe, we jump to a different system than Poe and Rose, in case they follow us."

She ran up to the bridge again, buckling herself into the pilot's seat, when the stars in front of them started to blur, as the Millenium Falcon made the jump into hyperspace.

* * *

The shuttle made the flight home to Lah'mu quicker than expected. Everything went smooth. Rose proved herself to be quite a good pilot, eventhough it was hard to bear for Poe not to be flying himself. But he knew she needed the practice and he was hoping General Organa would permantly reinstate his flight status. He was checking the controls for the signature of the Falcon. He knew that Rey and Chewie had cleared their path and took on the rest of the Tie fighters that had been still circeling them, when they had made the jump into hyperspace. His furrowed brows were a sure sign of his worries.

„I'm sure they were on our tail, Poe.", Rose tried to assure her friend and commanding officer. Poe shot her a dirty glance at her casual addressing him.

„You do know that we're on duty right now?", he reminded her - more to distract her from his worrying about Rey than from her mistake. „I know, they were right behind us. I just don't get their signal, yet. I'm setting a course for the landing approach, though.", He maneouvered the conversation back to the actual navigation of the shuttle. „Ready to hand over the control?", he asked her.

„Yes, Captain." Rose answered dilligently. She silently rolled her eyes, though. Poe never was somebody to point fingers at rule-bending. She understood him though. If it were Finn who was still in a skirmish, she would be worried, too. But then again, she and Finn were officially dating. Poe and Rey seemed to still be dancing around the issue of will they/won't they.

She glanced at the older officer. His furrowed brow and fine wrinkles around his eyes didn't only reveal his age but also the fact, that he truly was worried.

Poe focused intendly on the landing procedures clicking several switches and checked the instuments while slowly starting the decent onto the planet.

„I truly want to learn that.", Mumbled Rose admiringly while observing her commanding officer's work. „Don't worry, Rose. You'll get there sooner than you think.", Poe answered smilingly. He set the scanners to the Falcon's signature, listening in on the impending arrival of Rey and Chewbacca.

Once they had landed, the two of them were immediately summoned by General Organa. As it sounded really urgent, both Poe and Rose ran to the briefing room.

„Good to have you back." They were greeted by General Organa, who was musing over a giant star chart. „I got a transmission from Rey and Chewbacca. They had to take another detour to shake off the scattered Tie fighters. They will be back shortly."

The older woman sighed deeply. „But I'm afraid I can't let you wait for their return." She turned towards Rose Tico and continued „You will officially receive a promotion at the end of the week. You're a team lead in the engineering crew from then on. Your work is really important and we value you a lot. But it also means, your flight training will have to be postponed for a little longer."

A smile crept over Rose's face and she fought hard not to giggle in delight. A leading position and a promotion. It felt like a really great day to her.

„Captain Dameron - I need you on a special mission right away." Poe raised an eyebrow and wanted to retort something, when General Organa raised her hand. „I know - your flight status has been reinstated, still temporarily. But I need you out there." She pointed at the star chart. „Take your squadron to the Dantooine system. These Ties have to come from somewhere. It's only a recon mission, Captain. Do not engage as long as you're not provoked. Try to get as much information as possible. Understood?"

„Yes, Ma'am." Poe aswered dutifully. Quietly he added „Could you please let me know, when the Falcon lands?"

General Organa smirked. „I'll tell her you asked about them. But I'll have to take our Jedi to another mission as well, soon as she gets home." She motioned for the two resistance fighters to leave. „You're both dismissed. Check in with your teams and start immediately."

Rose smilingly went into the direction of the tarmac, seeking her team. Meanwhile, Poe Dameron couldn't shake the worry from his mind. Was it really neccessary to deploy both himself and Rey on different missions so quickly?

* * *

The Falcon touched down on the flightdeck about a minute after Black Squadron had gotten clearance for their mission. Rey looked at the comm, when she switched off the engine. She had received a private message. She looked over to Chewbacca, who growled impatiently. „Okay, okay. I'll just play this message and then we're home."

Em"Hi Rey. Could you do me a favor and find us a nice restaurant off-base? I don't want to miss my chance of getting you away from the crowd. We were speaking of hanging out, just the two of us. Traditionally it should be me to find us a place to go for our … date. But the General sent me on a mission - again. And I really don't want us to drop this idea. We just have to wait for a little longer. See you around, Sunshine."/Em

Rey blushed softly and couldn't hide a wide and infectious smile. So, he had called it a date, too. Another growl from Chewbacca drew her out of the small daydream she ventured on. She saw Poe's soft smile and his small but prominent wrinkles around his eyes practically in front of her when she had heard his voice on the recording. She resisted the urge to replay the message.

„Don't be jealous, Chewie. It's just a friendly dinner with a friend." She tried to hide her excitement. Chewie raised his hairy arms above his head and growled resignedly. „What do you mean - you heard this excuse before? And where is Bespin?"

They deboarded the Falcon and went to the briefing room, as well.

General Organa turned around as soon as she heard the Jedi and the Wookie approaching. She smiled friendly and greeted them with „Good to have you two back. Captain Dameron already debriefed upon the situation in the Dantooine system. Good job of you to bail out the shuttle."

Rey nodded and asked „Where are Captain Dameron and Rose Tico? You said they debriefed already. I got a message from the Captain sying he was sent on another mission already."

„I'm afraid that is true. I've dispatched Black Squadron to the Dantooine system to find the base of the Tie fighters. It's a recon mission." The general explained.

Rey knew that she was in no way entitled to so much information and that the general only shared the information with her, because she knew that she was friends with Poe. And of course, Leia Organa treated te younger woman as a friend as well.

„Who else is on this mission?" Rey asked and put down her bag and light sabre.

„Poe took Commander Wexley and Commander Pava with him. Commander Kun volunteered for maintenance work a few days ago. Maybe we'll have another fully operational X-Wing in a few days."

Rey smiled, picking up on the this information. „Do you mean, that I could join the squadron?", she asked eagerly.

„That still is upon Captain Dameron. But if he thinks you're fit to fly on his squadron, then you may have the next cockpit that gets equipped."

Rey thought of the argument that would come up, as soon as Poe would have to decide on her fututre as a resistance pilot. She had some doubts, whether or not he would agree to have her on his squadron. She frowned at the thought, earning a knowing smile from General Organa.

„Don't worry about it. He'll realize that it would be stupid not letting you fly." The older woman said and looked at her encouragingly. „And before you can start as a pilot, I'd like you to join me on a mission to Naboo. We would have to leave immediately. It's an important political mission and I want your input as a Jedi on it."

„We have to leave in an hour. Please find your gear and your mission biefing in your quarters and join me on the tarmac in thirty minutes." Leia ordered the Jedi and added smilingly „Welcome home."


	7. Chapter 7

Hello,

I just wanted to let you know, that I decided to stop updating my story here. Some things need time will be continued (and has already gotten another chapter). But due to not wanting to manage my story on two different platforms, I decided to stop updating here.

For my personal taste I feel more at home over on

If you want to stick with me and my writing, please check out Some things need time over there.


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